Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geneva and Meilen

For one person, living is cheaper in Meilen: $3,386 a month against $4,079 in Geneva, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Geneva outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

198

Cost of Living Index in Geneva
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Geneva Living Index
164

Cost of Living Index in Meilen
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Meilen Living Index

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Geneva

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$4,079

/mo nomad

Meilen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,386

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Geneva and in Meilen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Geneva and in Meilen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,079 per month in Geneva vs $3,386 in Meilen, rent included.

Geneva $4,079
Meilen $3,386

A couple spends around $6,308 per month in Geneva vs $5,977 in Meilen, rent included.

Geneva $6,308
Meilen $5,977

A family of three spends $8,538 per month in Geneva vs $8,568 in Meilen, rent included.

Geneva $8,538
Meilen $8,568

Geneva costs about 20% more than Meilen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Geneva and Meilen sit above the global median – Geneva by 200%, Meilen by 149%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.31 CHF 25.00

$32.96 CHF 27.19

-8.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$129 CHF 107

$120 CHF 98.8

7.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.47 CHF 16.06

$16.48 CHF 13.60

18.14%

Cappuccino

$6.40 CHF 5.28

$6.36 CHF 5.24

0.63%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 CHF 3.85

$5.76 CHF 4.75

-19.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 CHF 3.41

$5.25 CHF 4.33

-21.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.82 CHF 8.10

$8.63 CHF 7.12

13.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.87 CHF 8.14

$8.56 CHF 7.06

15.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.94

$2.18 CHF 1.80

7.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 CHF 2.69

$3.42 CHF 2.82

-4.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 CHF 2.79

$3.74 CHF 3.08

-9.36%

Eggs

$8.18 CHF 6.74

$7.85 CHF 6.48

4.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.05 CHF 20.66

$26.09 CHF 21.52

-3.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.22 CHF 24.11

$25.84 CHF 21.32

13.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.51 CHF 35.07

$39.94 CHF 32.94

6.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 CHF 2.92

$3.49 CHF 2.88

1.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 CHF 1.35

$2.11 CHF 1.74

-22.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 CHF 2.35

$2.71 CHF 2.24

5.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.90 CHF 4.04

$4.50 CHF 3.71

8.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 CHF 1.35

$2.07 CHF 1.71

-20.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 CHF 1.89

$2.18 CHF 1.80

5.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$2.36 CHF 1.94

-7.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$1.26 CHF 1.04

31.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.97 CHF 9.05

$11.05 CHF 9.12

-0.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 CHF 10.03

$13.29 CHF 10.96

-8.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 CHF 2.65

$2.25 CHF 1.85

42.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CHF 2.72

$3.15 CHF 2.60

4.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 CHF 2.93

$4.43 CHF 3.65

-19.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.8 CHF 70.8

$102 CHF 84.2

-15.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 CHF 6.28

$7.64 CHF 6.30

-0.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.76 CHF 3.10

$4.50 CHF 3.71

-16.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.2 CHF 52.9

$87.5 CHF 72.2

-26.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 CHF 1.94

$2.19 CHF 1.81

7.31%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.5K CHF 32.6K

$38.6K CHF 31.9K

2.32%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.8K CHF 32.0K

$39.0K CHF 32.1K

-0.29%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$280 CHF 231

$234 CHF 193

19.68%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$37.96 CHF 31.31

$38.39 CHF 31.67

-1.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 CHF 47.47

$64.6 CHF 53.3

-10.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.0 CHF 63.5

$90.9 CHF 75.0

-15.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.34 CHF 35.75

$45.64 CHF 37.65

-5.04%

Cinema Ticket

$23.96 CHF 19.77

$23.65 CHF 19.51

1.31%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,484 CHF 2,049

$2,822 CHF 2,328

-11.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K CHF 29.0K

$42.6K CHF 35.2K

-17.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$133 CHF 110

$138 CHF 114

-3.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$79.1 CHF 65.2

$58.1 CHF 47.96

36.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$169 CHF 139

$145 CHF 120

16.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 CHF 155

$175 CHF 144

7.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 CHF 2,331

$1,778 CHF 1,466

58.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,115 CHF 1,744

$1,463 CHF 1,207

44.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,088 CHF 4,197

$2,894 CHF 2,388

75.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,963 CHF 3,269

$4,088 CHF 3,372

-3.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$22.5K CHF 18.5K

$16.4K CHF 13.5K

37.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.3K CHF 13.5K

$12.6K CHF 10.4K

29.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,271 CHF 5,998

$8,262 CHF 6,815

-12.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.98

1.72

15.12%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Geneva: October 25, 2026

Last update for Meilen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Geneva

$2.1K 51.9%

Meilen

$1.5K 43.2% 30.8% $652

Groceries & Markets

Geneva

$600 14.7%

Meilen

$572 16.9% 4.6% $27

Eating Out

Geneva

$482 11.8%

Meilen

$494 14.6% 2.5% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geneva

$375 9.2%

Meilen

$337 10% 10.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Geneva

$256 6.3%

Meilen

$232 6.9% 9.3% $24

Getting Around

Geneva

$126 3.1%

Meilen

$150 4.4% 18.6% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Geneva

$125 3.1%

Meilen

$138 4.1% 10.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,825 in Geneva versus $1,778 in Meilen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Meilen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $129 in Geneva versus $120 in Meilen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $600 vs $572 – making Meilen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Geneva

🇨🇭 Meilen

🕒 Local time

02:41 2:41 AM

Same time as Geneva

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

191,557

13,515

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Geneva Meilen 220 km

From you

Geneva
Meilen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Geneva vs Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Geneva is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,118 per month in Geneva and $5,079 in Meilen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Meilen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,778 there versus $2,825 in Geneva.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Geneva, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $129 in Geneva and $120 in Meilen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,079 in Geneva and $3,386 in Meilen. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Geneva has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,386 in Meilen to $4,079 in Geneva. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.